Could Gawker's lawsuit have a "chilling effect" on tabloid news? One of the major sources of funding for CA's high speed rail project was revenue from cap and trade auctions of carbon credits, but last week's auction was a bust; then, a state bill would free passersby of liability if they break someone's car window to rescue a hot dog inside - will owners avoid bringing dogs for fear of overzealous animal lovers breaking into their cars to free a dog that's just fine? And a closer look at why it's taken so long to cleanup Exide.
Judge affirms $140 million judgment against Gawker could chill media investigations
Gawker media has hired an investment banker to explore a possible sale after it lost another round in court yesterday to Hulk Hogan.
The judge who oversaw the trial refused to reduce the jury's $140-million judgement against the tabloid news site. She also refused to order a new trial. Hogan successfully sued for invasion of privacy. Gawker posted a portion of a video showing Hogan having sex with his then-friend's wife. Radio host Bubba the Love Sponge Clem recorded the activity between his then-wife and Hogan. Hogan says he didn't know they were being videotaped.
Yesterday, PayPal co-founder and major Facebook investor Peter Thiel admitted bankrolling Hogan's lawsuit. He claims Gawker and its sister Silicon Valley publication Valleywag ruined people's lives for no reason. Several years ago, Valleywag outed Thiel as gay and mocked Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg.
Gawker says it'll appeal, but is the judge's affirmation of the jury's big award likely to chill tabloid media's future celebrity covereage?
What are the prospects for an appeal? Which entities might this verdict most effect?
Guests:
Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at Poynter
Jose Lambiet, veteran gossip writer and columnist; Publisher, GossipExtra.com
Danielle Citron, Law Professor specializing in privacy law, University of Maryland
What underwhelming results in state cap-and-trade auction could mean for high-speed rail, other state programs
Despite projecting over $500 million in proceeds for the state, California’s most recent cap-and-trade auction for greenhouse gases brought in a woeful $10 million, which is less than 2 percent.
Of the 43 million carbon allowances up for grabs, auction-goers only bought 785,000. The money from the sale of carbon credits goes to help fund state programs, one of which is the high-speed rail project. It was expecting $150 million but due to the lower-than-expected auction proceeds, it will get only $2.5 million.
So, why aren’t carbon credits being bought? Some analysts say because of a combination of things, not the least of which are uncertainty about the future of the program, which could expire in 2020, and a pending lawsuit that could upend the whole program. California’s Department of Finance notes that there is a $500 million cap-and-trade reserve built into Governor Brown’s budget. However, the long-term implications of the auction results could also be troubling, as the high-speed rail project needs the funds from selling carbon credits to match the almost $3.5 billion it's receiving in federal grants.
Guest:
Dan Walters, columnist for the Sacramento Bee
Who let the dogs out (of the hot car)? If new law passes, it could be you
What do you do if you see a dog locked in a car on a hot day? Do you try to find the owner? Maybe you call the police? Or do you take matters into your own hands and try to free the dog yourself?
If passed, AB 797 would allow ordinary citizens to break a stranger’s car window to save a dog trapped in a hot (or cold) car without fear of being prosecuted. The “Right to Rescue” Act, was proposed by Rancho Cucamonga Republican Assemblyman Marc Steinorth, and it comes with a few caveats. You can’t just go busting in someone’s window just because you see a dog in the car. In order to avoid prosecution, a person would have to make sure the car is locked, rule out all other “reasonable” methods for freeing the dog, and have a “good faith belief” that the animal is in danger if not immediately rescued. Once the glass is broken, the Good Samaritan must wait with the dog until authorities arrive.
Unlike humans, dogs do not sweat through their skin. They pant to cool off instead. Because dogs can’t sweat like humans, they overheat much faster than humans. If left in a hot car, it could only take minutes before inducing brain damage or organ failure. The American Veterinary Association reports that on a 70 degree day, the temperature inside a car can get up to 89 degrees in 10 minutes and 99 degrees in 20 minutes.
What do you think of the concept behind this law? Are there any situations that come to mind where the law might not give clear direction on who is liable?
Guests:
Marc Steinorth (District 40 - R), Assemblyman representing California's 40th District, which includes Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands and San Bernardino. He introduced Assembly Bill 797
Michael Kraut, criminal defense lawyer, Kraut Law Group, and former Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney
Tricky case of LA officials dealing with disruptive gadfly's threatening speech
Activists at Los Angeles City Hall earlier this week were demanding greater civility in council chambers after a gadfly made racist and violent comments targeting Council President Herb Wesson and Councilmember Nury Martinez.
Wesson received an offensive drawing at a meeting earlier this month. On it was a person hanging from a tree, and a hooded Ku Klux Klan figure holding a noose. The KKK figure also held a sign using the n-word in referring to Wesson, who is black. Wayne Spindler is accused of making those threats as well as muttering swear words at Martinez. Spindler denies the comments were racial, but he has appeared in chambers in the past wearing a white hood with a red swastika drawing and signaling "Hail, Hitler."
Wesson has filed a restraining order against Spindler who is not only free on bond after being arrested Friday, but also free to continue attending council meetings.
Keeping discourse civil during government proceedings can get tricky. A man sued LA after he was kicked out of a meeting in 2011 for refusing to take off a KKK hood. He claimed his free speech rights were violated. The city settled the suit two years ago.
The activists want the district attorney to aggressively pursue charges against Spindler. Additionally, because Spindler is a licensed attorney, they are calling on the California Bar Association to disbar him.
Guest:
Eugene Volokh, Professor of Law at UCLA expert in the First Amendment
Fernando J. Guerra, Ph.D., Director, The Center for the Study of Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University; KPCC Trustee
Check-in: What’s going on with the Exide cleanup?
In light of recent news about the clean up of Porter Ranch, we check in on the clean up around the former Exide battery plant.
The now-shuttered plant once called the city of Vernon home but closed its doors in April 2013 after the Department of Toxic Substances Control expressed concerns about arsenic and lead getting into the soil, water, and air surrounding the area. In 2014, new tests revealed lead found in the soil at homes nearby, putting in motion a clean up process that could take years.
In August 2015, additional testing showed that up to 10,000 properties could be facing lead contamination. It’s well-known that lead poses serious health risks, including an elevated risk of cancer and learning disabilities in children. Residents have not been pleased with the lack of swift action to clean up their neighborhoods.
What progress has been made to clean up in Vernon? Where does the process stand as of now? What challenges has the DTSC faced?
DTSC declined to join our conversation, but released this statement to AirTalk:
Guests:
Elizabeth Aguilera, KPCC community health reporter
Tony Barboza, L.A. Times Environment Reporter. He tweets
Second-generation immigrants mangle name pronunciations by choice
Writer Mona Chalabi makes a conscious choice when she introduces herself as "MO-nah" instead of using her parents' Arabic pronunciation of "MUN-ah."
As she writes in “The Guardian,” the choice faced by many second-generation immigrant kids is tricky because straying from your parents' native-tongue pronunciation can be viewed as inauthentic and a betrayal of your roots in favor of assimilation.
Chalabi explains her choice reflects her life experiences as an English speaker, raised in England: "Where you were raised matters, and I choose my pronunciation in recognition of that. But I also respect others who feel differently. In fact, I respect them a whole lot given how burdensome it is to have to repeat your name in every introduction until someone gets it right."
How have you handled Americanization of your given and family names?
Guest:
Mona Chalabi, data editor, “The Guardian;” she tweets from